Clamp.



W. A. RICHARDSON,

CLAMP.

APPLICAHON men DEC. 2. 1916.

1,243,107. Patented Oct. 16,1917.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. RICHARDSON, OF EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BICH'WIN' MANUFAGTURIN G COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Application filed December 2, 1918. Serial lio. 134,671.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. RIGHARD- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edwardsville, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in clamping devices for tightly holding a flexible element as a strap, rope or cord, and comprising a frame carrying a locking element adapted to co-act with a bearing portion of the frame and embodying a pulley or sheave-wheel, with other features of construction as more fully hereinafter described.

The device is designed to provide for easy slippage of a rope or cord and for efliciently holding it at any desired position in its movement through the frame.

Referring to the drawings, showing one preferred construction Figure 1 is a face View of the device in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, indicated by the line II, II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, indicated by the line III, III of Fig. 1.

The main frame or base portion of the device is preferably formed of plate metal, providing a main back portion 2, the central end portion of which is bent upwardly and outwardly as indicated at 3, 4, to provide a pivotal mounting or housing portion for the locking or clamping dog 5. Said dog, which is cam-like in construction, is provided with an outer preferably grooved gripping face of gradually increasing radius from its pivotal center, and is pivotally mounted on a riveted pin 6, constituting a freely acting bearing for the dog. The main frame 2 is provided with a bearing lug 7 at one side opposite the gripping dog, bent forwardly from the main back as indicated, whereby to provide a ri id substantial hearing for the cord opposing the dog in its gripping action.

At the other side, a flange keeper 8 is similarly bent forward and curved inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 3, providing an embracing and guiding housing for the cord 9, at the other side.

A pulley or sheave-wheel 10, is pivotally mounted on a stud 11, extending forwardly from the main back and centrally of the device, whereby to arrange its peripheral groove in alinement with the general direction of cord 7, so that the cord may freely pass around with the sheave in either direction. The special advantage of the sheavewheel is in reducing friction and giving an easy traveling pathway for the cord, thus facilitating its ready adjustment.

At the opposite end, frame 2 is provided with an eye 12, adapting the frame to attachment at any desired position against a supporting surface by means of a staple 13, or eye 12 may be connected with any other suitable or preferred holding device. As shown, the front of the device is open, so that its application to the cord, or of the cord to the clamp, is easily and quickly made.

In operation, cord 9 is introduced between dog 5 and abutment 7 and passed around the sheave wheel 10 and its free end inserted behind the guiding flange 8, assuming the tightening of the cord to be against a reverse pulling action. The dog 5 is brought into binding engagement against the cord and when the free portion of the cord is drawn in the direction of the arrow a, its tension in the opposite direction tends to cause the dog 5 to grip against it more tightly, in proportion to the strain. The dog will continue to hold or bind against the cord, until released by a momentary reverse strain on the free end of the cord, when it will either fall away of gravity, in the position shown in Fig. 1, or may be thrust outwardly by the finger.

The dog 5 is preferably grooved lengthwise of its gpipping face, preferably in the form of a -shaped groove, having cross ridges or teeth, as indicated at 14.

The construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated from the foregoing description by all those accustomed to use devices for bind ing or holding ropes, cords, etc- It is comparatively simple and cheap, very effective in action, and is adapted to a wide variety of uses.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a holding device of the class described, a frame provided with a bearing abutment at one side, a flanged guide on the opposite side, a pivotally mounted cam-like dog arranged to bind by rotation toward said abutment, and a. guiding sheave-wheel pivotally mounted in the frame beyond said members.

2. A clamping device consisting of a frame having a lateral bearing abutment, a supporting arm extending upwardly from the base of said frame, a locking dog pivotally mounted between said arm and said frame and adapted to cooperate With said bearing abutment, a cord guard beyond said locking dog and opposite said bearing abutment, and a pivotally mounted sheave Wheel above said locking dog.

3. A clamping device consisting of a frame having a lateral bearing abutment, a locking dog pi 'oted adjacent thereto having an eccentric gripping face, a cord guard beyond said locking dog, and a pivotally mounted sheave wheel, said frame having a portion adapting it to connection with a holding element.

4. In combination, a frame of plate metal having at one end a bent over portion providing a pivotal mounting, a cam-like locking dog pivoted therein, a bent up abutment portion providing a cord bearing opposite the dog, a bent up guiding lug at the other side of the dog, and a pivot-ally mounted sheave wheel located beyond the. dog for engagement with a cord passing between the dog and said bearing abutment.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WILLIAM A. RICHARDSON. 

